Hockey Home Stand Continues Tuesday against UConn

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 (7 p.m.)

WHERE: Kelley Rink at Conte Forum / Chestnut Hill

GAME NOTES: PDF / WEB

HOW TO FOLLOW:
- WATCH LIVE ( BCEagles.TV )
- RADIO: WEEI 850 AM -- Jon Rish (Play-by-Play) // Andy Powers (Color Commentary)
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BOSTON COLLEGE vs. CONNECTICUT
Connecticut skates up from Hartford to The Heights on Tuesday night and enters Kelley Rink for the third time in the program's history. The Huskies have played Boston College hard at home as BC beat them on a hat trick from Ryan Fitzgerald (3-2) on Jan. 24, 2015 followed by a 3-3 draw the following year on Jan. 23, 2016. The Eagles have had a penchant for hat tricks against the Huskies as JD Dudek netted the first of his career in the first meeting of the season in a 5-2 win at the XL Center on Nov. 22, 2016. In the two teams' first-ever meeting, UConn shocked the Eagles on a Wednesday night (Nov. 5, 2014) by upsetting BC, 1-0, after Boston College transfer Evan Richardson scored the game-winning goal. Since that opening defeat in 2014, BC has not lost to UConn since (3-0-1). Another large in tie-in to the BC-UConn series is the relationship with Huskies' head coach Mike Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh became as assistant coach at Boston College before the 1995-96 season and was promoted to associate head coach in 2004. Cavanaugh assisted York for 773 games and helped the Eagles win four national titles in 2001, 2008, 2010 and 2012.

UCONN RECONNAISSANCE
UConn is batting exactly .500 in both overall and conference records, with a 9-9-6 and 5-5-2 win-loss total, respectively, as the Huskies head into the mid-week matchup. The last few weeks have been a tale of two teams as UC onnn is 1-3 in its last four outings before rattling off a five-game unbeaten streak (4 - 0 - 1) from Dec. 2 - 31. The lethal sophomore duo of Tage Thompson (16-8-24) and Max Letunov (6-16-22) lead Connecticut in offense as Thompson's mark of 1.09 points per game ranks 44th in all of college hockey. Thompson is averaging 0.73 goals per game, which is seventh in the NCAA. Much like UConn's record, its offense (2.96 gpg) and defense (2.83 gpg) are split right down the middle as well, both weighing in at 29th in college hockey. Freshman Adam Huska (5-5-3 • 2.87 • .918) and senior Rob Nichols (4-4-3 • 2.50 • .912) are sharing the goaltending duties this season.

POINT PRODUCERS
Only four other teams in college hockey have scored as many points as BC has this season. The Eagles are fifth in the NCAA in total points (240), third in assists (155) and tied for first with three (3) hat tricks. Boston College is also third in the nation in most road points scored with 136. Boston College is tied for sixth in goals scored with 85 and back up to second place in all of college plus/minus differential (+32).

ACROSS THE BOARD
Boston College has produced some even scoring as 12 Eagles are in double figures in points while eight skaters have at least five goals through this point. BC is now averaging over three goals per game (3.27 gpg) on the season which ranks 14th amongst all teams in college hockey. For almost the entire first half of the season, that figure led Hockey East but has since slid to fifth after a tough scoring drought to start the second half.

EDGY EAGLES
Boston College's top five point getters through 26 games are Matthew Gaudreau (6-17-23), Christopher Brown (6-15-21), Colin White (11-8-19), Austin Cangelosi (10-9-19) and Ryan Fitzgerald (5-13-18). White's 0.52 goals per game ranks 38th in all of college hockey while his 0.90 points per game is tied for 90th. Gaudreau and R. Fitzgerald are averaging 0.65 assists per game, tied for 54th in college hockey.

HERE'S MY PLUS-ONE
The Eagles are outscoring their opponent at just under a goal per game and possess the ninth-highest mark in the NCAA. BC's + 0.96 goal differential is fourth in the league as the Eagles have netted 85 goals and given up only 60. The +32 plus / minus mark, as a club, is second best in the NCAA.

WHAT A SAVAGE
Senior defenseman Scott Savage accounted for his second three-point performance of the season and second of his career with a goal and two assists in the 6-1 win over UMass. The San Clemente, Calif.'s first three-point performance occurred when he recorded three assists against North Dakota at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 3. He is one point shy of matching his season high in points scored, having accounted for four goals and 13 assists. Savage is currently 32nd amongst all defensemen with 0.65 points per game.

DEFENDING THE HEIGHTS
The combination of first-year goaltenders Joseph Woll and Ryan Edquist have filled in nicely for the departed Thatcher Demko. Woll has earned the brunt of the work, amassing an 11-8-1 (.575 - 30th in the NCAA) record, with a 2.39 goals against average (23rd in the NCAA) and a .922 save percentage (15th overall). Edquist has been the primary back up with nice numbers, recently picking up his fourth-career win (4-1-1 in all) after defeating UMass on Jan. 20. In all, Edquist owns a 1.75 goals against average with a .929 save percentage.

DEFENSIVE DEEDS
Following the UMass game on Jan. 20, BC is surrendering 2.31 goals per game which is 11th best in college hockey. Boston College is only one of two teams in Hockey East that has given up 10 goals or less, combined, in the first period, starting off strong defensively. BC has given up only 10 first-period goals thus far (PC leads w/ eight.)

PLUSSES N MINUSES
Senior Scott Savage turned in a +4 performance against UMass on Jan. 20. Heading into the UConn contest, the veteran blue liner is +18 on the season, which stands as the sixth-best figure in all of college hockey. Austin Cangelosi weighs in at +17, tied for eighth best.

SHARING THE WEALTH
In Boston College's 6-1 rout of Massachusetts on Jan. 20, the Eagles sported six different goal scorers. Boston College has done this twice this season, both occurring against the Minutemen.

SHOOTING IN A VACUUM
Boston College limited Massachusetts to 13 shots in the Jan. 20th victory, the lowest amount this season by five shots. The second closest total was when BC went out to Amherst where UMass mustered only 18 shots on net in the Eagles' 7-4 win on Oct. 29.

COTTON SMOOTH
Freshman David Cotton continues to roll as he attained his second three-point performance of the season with a goal and two assists on Jan. 20. Cotton leads all freshmen in scoring this season with eight goals and nine assists for a 17 point total through 26 games played. The Parker, Texas native has accounted for four game-winning goals and four power play goals. Cotton is one of 12 skaters in all of college hockey with four game-winning goals this season. Cotton is tied for sixth on the Eagles' roster in scoring, overall.

WHAT A PLAYMAKER
Sophomore Christopher Brown recorded his first-career playmaker on Jan. 20, notching three assists in the win over UMass. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich. native recorded a pair of assists on three separate occasions with the last occurring at Notre Dame on Dec. 10 this season. Brown is second on BC's roster in scoring with 21 points (6-15-21).

100 FOR CANGE
Senior centerman Austin Cangelosi snapped an 11-game goal-scoring drought at Frozen Fenway on Jan. 7. The goal stood as the Estero, Fla. native's 100th-career point as Cangelosi added an assist on Michael Kim's equalizer midway through the second period. Cangelosi also remains college hockey's most lethal faceoff man, winning 65.0 percent of his draws (364-of-560). His 364 faceoff wins are the third most in college hockey but the most out of any centerman with that high of a volume.

Hockey Home Stand Continues Tuesday against UConn

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Players Mentioned

Christopher Brown

Austin Cangelosi

David Cotton

Thatcher Demko

JD Dudek

Ryan Edquist

Ryan Fitzgerald

Matthew Gaudreau

Michael Kim

Scott Savage

Colin White

Joseph Woll